Have you considered becoming more involved in OSRP leadership around Advocacy, Professional Development, and more?
Are you Board-Curious?
Or Committee-Intrigued?
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with your friendly neighbourhood Nomination Committee at nomination@psychotherapyontario.org and we can help pair your talents and enthusiasm to work that needs to be done to advance our profession and our Society.
OSRP's EDI Committee of OSRP is excited to announce the Launch of their Race-Based Data Collection Initiative, already part of PS Seminars registration, and now integrated into June 2023 Membership Renewal.
This is an invitation to participate in a Panel Discussion about the importance of Race-Based Data Collection in Ontario.
Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Venue: Virtual/Zoom To register: https://osrp.ca/event-5279392
Feel free to bring your own lunch and enjoy it during the session.
This Lunch & Learn is open to all OSRP members and the community. Please feel free to invite your peers, colleagues, and community to join in this exceptional learning and unlearning event.
Confirmed panelists:
This is an opportunity for you to learn more about OSRP's new initiative designed to reduce barriers like systemic inequities resulting from anti-Black racism and other systems of oppression, that perpetuate the lack of equitable representation in Psychotherapy in Ontario.
Click here to register.
Are you Board-Curious? Or Committee-Intrigued?
MP Stephen Ellis’s Private Member’s Bill C-323, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (mental health services), received its second reading on April 25.
Read the transcript of the complete debate, with PC and NDP members pushing the government on all fronts to change this unfair tax for good:
Here are some key quotes from MPs:
"...what can we do to help support all Canadians? We can modify the Excise Tax Act and eliminate the taxes on psychotherapy services and mental health counsellors. Even though we may say this is not a huge issue, we have an opportunity to do something. The government needs to look at opportunities so we can stop talking, make a difference and do something to help the health of Canadians." - MP Stephen Ellis, introducing the Second Reading of his Bill
MP Ellis's answer to the first question, from the Speaker of the House:"We can find proper titles for professions such as psychotherapist and mental health counsellor. I think that it is possible, then, to group together all professions offering the same services even if they have different names. I think that this is a way to find the process that will be best for all Canadians."
Next question (similar) got the following response from Ellis:"I do not think the nomenclature needs to allow us to not be able to move forward and cause us to have paralysis on this. We need to move forward for the betterment of all Canadians."
"The Bloc Québécois is really pleased to support Bill C‑323 to make a real difference in the lives of those who need help and to offer them a GST exemption." - MP Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille (Salaberry--Suroit, BQ)
"I want to talk a bit about our party's history on this. A 2017 NDP-sponsored bill would have removed GST from psychotherapy services. Bill C-218, sponsored by my colleague from London—Fanshawe, would also have removed GST from psychotherapy services. It is currently out of the order of precedence, so, again, we commend our colleague for moving this forward. The same colleague from London—Fanshawe presented a petition to the House of Commons to remove GST from counselling therapy and psychotherapy services. That petition received over 14,000 signatures. When the Conservatives' order of precedence comes forward, we do like it when they take NDP bills. This is something we are just starting to get used to." - MP Gord Johns (Courtenay-Alberni, NDP Health Critic, who seconded MP Lindsay Mathyssen's Bill first read Dec 2021 in the House.
Unfortunately, last week all 14, 244 House of Commons petition.signatories received a disappointing message from the Finance Minister.
This message is not new and has been received by her constituents and other letter-writers for years. This does NOT mean that our cause is hopeless.
As reported HERE in the March 28th Central, and ongoing since then, several MPs and their staff have advised that their offices have been flooded with GST/HST exemption letters.
The newly-merged Advocacy Committee + HST Task Force met April 14, and brought renewed energy to meeting with politicians and decision-makers, now that we are all fully briefed on this important issue.
WHAT IS OSRP DOING? Click here to read more:
Important actions and meetings are arising from your activism, and we will keep you informed of all new developments.
Click here to read the Finance Committee's recommendation, echoing bills from two opposition parties, and our press release!
The CRPO has posted five new practice CBA questions here, in addition to the five previously available: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y527JZ9
They have also highlighted key resources for CBA prep, or simply to avoid complaints.
These resources have been shared with the OSRP.
The “Informed Consent Workbook” is a useful guide to everyday practice.
So is the Core Competencies document.
The reviews are in – our April 6 debut hybrid event was a hit!
Left: Lisa E. Hamilton, Partner, Bell Temple LLP, Litigation Lawyers
Centre: Rachel Fulford, Event Producer, Co-Moderator
Right: Alethia Cadore, Executive Producer, Host, Co-Moderator
“The first session in the Protect series on Risk Mitigation was exactly what I needed to learn about minimising risk in my psychotherapy practice. Thank you for the key learnings and the reminder to care for self. The CBA case questions review was also highly informative and lessened my anxiety about this process.Thank you for creating this series!” - Roberta Currie, RP, Clinical Member, Collingwood
“What I found most helpful about the Risk Mitigation webinar was gaining a fuller understanding of the rationale behind the CRPO’s Case-Based Assessment, as well as how the CRPO will be responding to and supporting various scores. I now see the assessment as an opportunity to evaluate and sharpen my understanding of the CRPO's Professional Practice Standards.” - Dana K, RP, Clinical Member, Toronto
Surveys are unanimous – the seminar was relevant, the speakers were knowledgeable, and the seminar’s delivery made the material accessible to all participants.
GOOD NEWS – it's not too late to purchase a PS: Protect Seminars Flex Pass which will give you access to the April 6 video, PowerPoint and other valuable materials from this event…and the next four seminars!
The OSRP Board wants all members to have access to this incredible “Risk Mitigation” session. It’s a must-watch for your practice.
It’s like a $2,000+ legal consult + CBA Prep Session – all for the cost of:
$20 for the individual session, or
$75 for all five seminars – whether you attend in person, online, or simply receive all materials sent to your inbox.
“It’s the deal of the century,” as one satisfied member told us.
***Flex Pass – availability extended to JUNE 1***
Click HERE for more information & to register.
THANK YOU to the 118 registered members - your support makes it possible to continue offering these programs.
Protect yourself with five seminars offered throughout 2023. Starting with CRPO QA, take a dive deep into culture, sexuality, our cyber world, and then land with you. Yes, you.
Can’t wait to see you, virtually or in person.
Registration is open! Flex Pass available till June 1, 2023.
Also - did you know that the OSRP has launched the second edition of its BIPOC Bursary Program?
See our HOME PAGE for details on how you can donate to help a fellow OSRP member, or someone who wants to join!
Or simply CLICK HERE TO DONATE
OSRP proudly welcomes 1,309 people among its members: 548 Clinical Members, 310 Qualifying Members, 418 Student Members, 16 Retired Members, 7 Friends of the Society and 10 Honorary Members. Thank you to each and every one of you for your continued support.
At this time last year, we counted 1,057 members: 485 Clinical, 234 Qualifying, 308 Student, 16 Retired, 6 Friends of the Society and 8 Honorary members.
OSRP is keeping pace with the growth of CRPO Registrants – 11,000+ by last count.
(Did you know there are more than double the number of RPs compared to Psychologists registered in Ontario?)
What a tremendous story of greater presence as more and more RPs, RP(Q)s, Students and Retired Members are moved to call the OSRP their professional home, and enjoy all the benefits of membership.
We appreciate the opportunity to grow with our valued members into a space of leadership among Ontario’s mental health professionals.
The CRPO is asking all Registrants – and members of the public – to have their voices heard re: proposed amendments to the Clinical Supervisor definition.
Feedback received through this survey will be considered by Council.
The deadline to submit feedback is April 30, 2023.
The draft revised definition is available here.
Did you know:
This is a great opportunity to invite folks who might appreciate the low member-only pricing on PS: protect yourself: PROTECT SEMINARS, and exclusive access to after-seminar-materials including video – a member-only benefit.
April 1 is a terrific start date for a new member, with a minimal financial commitment up front.
Other members-only benefits are listed in this handy INVITE TEMPLATE, which you can address to your colleague as a special gift from you.
Please find a list of membership benefits – including health insurance, discounts on many products and services, access to the ListServ, and so much more – HERE.
Thank you for welcoming new members, and making OSRP the professional home for over 1,200 Ontarians…and rising!
The good news: Our efforts are being NOTICED.
OSRP members, united in a National Coalition, have been effective and impactful.
See OSRP Facebook post of volunteers with Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Carolyn Bennett as just one example of helpful contact with changemakers.
But there is some not-so-great news. It doesn’t seem that the GST/HST Exemption for our profession is in the 2023-24 Federal Budget. This is disappointing, given the launch of the House of Commons petition in September 2022, and all the great work by OSRP members signing, sharing and sending letters to their MPs.
Members of the OSRP Advocacy Committee, buoyed by the Finance Committee recommendation to remove GST/HST on mental health services, and the new Bill introduced by MP Ellis, asked you to write LETTERS. And write you did!
Those letters, and all that pressure, opened the door to several extremely important meetings with government MPs/Cabinet Ministers, and with the Finance Minister’s staff.
Please keep writing your well-informed and respectful letters and emails to your MP, and/or politely engaging with them about this at virtual or in-person community gatherings — it really, really does help. We are building a coalition that includes government leaders!
From our meetings last week, we repeatedly heard:
To join the Advocacy Committee please click HERE.
To read our updates, please visit our webpage ADVOCACY CORNER.
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